What works for a new home is what gets used every day and what people put off buying when they move: bed linen, towels, a good piece for the kitchen. There is only one condition, know the sizes before you buy, because an item in the wrong size goes back. The budget scales with your relationship to the recipient. Below you will find the categories that hold up, the figures and the most common mistakes.
For a new bed, the complete Looniva sets start at €129, in 300TC bamboo viscose certified OEKO-TEX Standard 100 class I, with returns within 30 days.
The categories that work
| Category | Why it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Bed linen | used every night, and movers put it off until last | you need the size of the bed |
| Terry towels for the bathroom | useful straight away, one size fits all | neutral colours, the bathroom is already furnished |
| A good pot or pan | replaces a poor-quality piece | check the type of hob |
| Plants and pots | furnish without imposing a style | ask whether there are pets in the home |
| Voucher or gift card | lets the person who knows the space choose | less personal, needs something to go with it |
The criterion in the left-hand column is always the same: an everyday item that ended up at the bottom of the list, because the moving money went on furniture and appliances.
In short
- In 2024 in Italy, changes of residence between municipalities numbered 1.413 million, down 1.4 per cent on 2023 (source: Istat, Demographic indicators): every year more than a million people set up a home from scratch
- The categories that hold up are everyday items put off during the move: bed linen, towels, a good piece for the kitchen
- Bed linen has only one prerequisite, the size of the mattress and the duvet: asking beforehand does not spoil the surprise
- The budget scales with the relationship: €20 to €40 for a colleague, €50 to €100 for a friend, over €100 for family or when several people chip in for a single gift
- On textiles, the verifiable guarantee is the OEKO-TEX Standard 100certification, which attests to the absence of harmful substances in the finished product
Why bed linen holds up
People who move buy the bed first and then, almost always, put the sheets from their previous home on it. It is the item that gets inherited, because in the moving budget it comes after the sofa, the washing machine and the curtains.
The gift therefore arrives in a genuinely empty space, and is used that same evening. A spare set is never too much: between washing and drying you need at least a second one, and the second one is the one nobody buys for themselves.
The opposite reasoning to furniture then applies: a textile does not impose a style on the room, because it can be changed and put away. The colours that sit well with already decided furnishings are in the guide to coordinated colours and fabrics in the bedroom, and the choice of fabric in the one on which fabric to choose for sheets.
How much to spend, in practice
The figures below are current practice, not a written rule. For a colleague or a neighbour, €20 or €40 is enough, and towels or a plant fit within it. For a friend the useful range is €50 to €100, which is where a set of sheets or a quality piece for the kitchen comes in.
Over €100 you are in family territory, or several people are pooling for a single gift. This is the range where it pays to look at the whole bed rather than two unconnected pieces: a complete Looniva set starts at €129 in the single size and goes up to €179 in King size.
The comparison between a set and pieces bought one at a time is in complete set versus single pieces. For the same budget, on a different occasion, see the categories in the guide to a wedding anniversary gift.
How to get the size right
This is the only point where a bed linen gift can go wrong, and it is solved with two questions. The first concerns the mattress, width and length, plus the height if it exceeds 25 centimetres. The second concerns the duvet, which comes in different formats in Italy even for the same bed.
With those numbers in hand the choice is mechanical: the fitted sheet takes the width of the mattress, the duvet cover the size of the duvet, the pillowcases the size of the pillow, which in the Looniva catalogue is 50x75. The full picture of Italian sizes is in the guide to double bed sheet sizes.
If asking for the sizes feels like giving the gift away, you can turn the question around: ask for the model of the bed, or give the set size together with an exchange voucher. A seller that accepts returns, like the complete bamboo viscose set with its returns within 30 days, removes the problem at the root.
Good-luck gifts and when they work
Bread, salt, wine, a new broom, a coin under the doormat: the Italian tradition for a new home is made of objects that count for the gesture and not the price. They work when they accompany the real gift, and fall flat when they replace it.
The form that holds up is the pairing: the useful gift plus the good-luck token, with a written line explaining why. Bread for abundance, salt for preservation, the broom for the old home. It costs a few euro and remains the detail people remember.
What to avoid
There are three mistakes. The first is the decorative object with a strong style, paintings, statues, conspicuous lamps: it enters a newly furnished home and forces them to find a place for it out of politeness.
The second is the large appliance decided from outside, which almost always duplicates a choice already made or does not fit the space planned. The third is the set of textiles in a doubtful size, which is the same size mistake seen from the other side.
One case stands apart: pets, which are never given as a surprise on any occasion. When bed linen is the main gift, see the guide to bed linen as a gift.
How to deliver it
The best moment is the first month, when the boxes are still around and the usefulness is immediately visible. If you ship directly, check two things: that the address is the new one and that the packaging is presentable when opened. A handwritten note, with the size written on the back, then helps anyone who needs to change size.
Frequently asked questions
What do you give as a housewarming gift?
An everyday item that the person moving has put off: bed linen, towels, a good piece for the kitchen. These are the categories that enter a truly empty space, because in the moving budget they come after furniture and appliances. Decorative objects with a strong style, by contrast, arrive in a newly furnished home and create a problem of where to put them.
How much do you spend on a housewarming gift?
Current practice is between €20 and €40 for a colleague or a neighbour, between €50 and €100 for a friend, over €100 for family or when several people pool for a single gift. It is not a rule: consistency between the gift and how well you know the home matters more than the figure on the receipt.
Are sheets a good housewarming gift?
Yes, on one condition: knowing the size of the mattress and the duvet. It is the item that people moving inherit from their previous home and that almost nobody buys new, so a spare set is always useful. Looniva sets are in 300TC bamboo viscose certified OEKO-TEX Standard 100 class I, with returns within 30 days if the size is not right.
Do I need to ask for the sizes before buying?
Yes, and it is the question that saves the gift. You need the width and length of the mattress, the height if it exceeds 25 centimetres and the duvet format. If you don't want to give away the surprise, you can ask for the model of the bed or choose a seller that accepts size exchanges.
Are bread and salt enough as a gift?
They work as an accompaniment, not as a sole gift. The traditional gesture costs a few euro and remains the detail people remember, but on its own it leaves the home in the same condition as before. The form that holds up is the pairing of a useful object and a good-luck token, with a written line explaining why.
Edoardo Guarise